Key lime pie popsicles

Now that summer is in full bloom, we almost always have a batch of popsicles in our freezer. It’s usually the strawberry raspberries ones, which are still my favorite. But when we’re feeling fancy, we make these key lime pie ones. They’re delicious and pretty easy to prepare. Just four ingredients for a rich yet refreshing dessert! The hardest part is waiting for them to set.

We used regular limes here, not key limes, so I guess they’re technically just “lime pie popsicles,” but I don’t think lime pie is a thing? In any case, I had to make these after I ordered a slice of key lime pie at a restaurant, which reminded me a lot of these popsicles except that the pie was too rich and not as tasty so my craving wasn’t satisfied until I remade these. I think that the crunchy graham cracker crumbs add a lot for me. Speaking of which, you have to cover these with graham crackers just before serving, as I learned the hard way. I was a slow poke with this photoshoot and the popsicles melted too much so I popped them back in the freezer but then they came out with soggy crumbs.

The recipe from which this recipe is adapted calls for 3/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice, but our limes are very sour so I only use 2/3 cup. If you’re using limes that are on the sweeter side, use the higher measurement. I got 2/3 cup of lime juice from 6 regular limes that I hand-squeezed, which weighed 0.75 lb (350 g). I always find it hard to tell how juicy limes will be, so I choose softer limes and I get a bunch just in case.

I usually crush the graham crackers with my fingers on the plate on which I serve them. (They’re messy so they need to be served with a plate anyway.) I use half of a graham cracker sheet (2.5″ x 2.25″) per popsicle. I like the bigger chunks so I crush them coarsely and then press each side of the popsicle into the crumbs. I press the smaller crumbs in with my fingers to get the popsicle completely covered and it helps if it melts a tiny bit in the process so I don’t worry about working too quickly if I’m only preparing two popsicles at a time.

Directions

In a batter bowl with a spout, whisk together the condensed milk, half-and-half, lime juice, and lime zest until thoroughly combined.

Divide the mixture among popsicle molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Freeze according to manufacturer instructions.

If using a popsicle maker similar to ours, cover with the lid, insert the popsicle sticks, and transfer to the freezer. Freeze the popsicles until solid, about 5 hours.

To unmold the popsicles, remove the lid from the mold. You can run the mold under lukewarm water for a few seconds, or until the popsicles are easily dislodged. Since our molds are transparent, we can see the popsicle dislodging and can pull it out once its color has faded away from the mold. Once dislodged, store the popsicles in heavy-duty plastic ziplock bags or prepare immediately.

Just before serving, cover each popsicle in graham cracker crumbs. On a plate, spread out some graham cracker crumbs and press each side of the popsicle into the crumbs. Depending on how coarse the crumbs are, you may need to press smaller crumbs in with your fingers in order to completely cover the popsicles.

Tips

Sources of sodium

Sweetened condensed milk

Graham crackers

Half-and-half

Approximate sodium intake per popsicle: 108.55 mg

63 mg from the condensed milk, which has 45 mg per 2 tablespoons (30 mL)

33.75 mg from the graham crackers, which has 135 mg per 2 cracker sheets (31 g)

11.80 mg from the half-and-half, which has 15 mg per 2 tablespoons (30 mL)

These values are calculated from the nutritional labels of the ingredients I used

Handy tools

Popsicle molds

We have this popsicle mold and it serves its purpose but it’s not perfect. The lid doesn’t snap on, which means that we have to be careful to not shift the sticks before the popsicles freeze otherwise it is hard to remove the lid once they’re frozen.

Popsicle sticks

Look for food-grade popsicle sticks.

Batter bowl

A batter bowl with a spout is nice here because you can pour the wet mixture straight into each popsicle mold. If you don’t have a bowl with a spout, you can transfer some of the mixture into a measuring cup with a spout or you could use a funnel to make filling each mold easier.